I’m in Palmer Alaska for my daughter’s wedding and took time out of our busy wedding schedule to find the local high school track to run the Sweet 1600. It was amazing to run with the Chugach Mountains behind me, and my grandson cheering me on.
363 days ago, I ran my fastest mile ever (a sub 9 minute mile!) at the same track. Two days later, we left Maui. Two days after that, the island burned. FEMA and The Red Cross were set up just behind the stadium in the War Memorial Gymnasium.
I didn’t know if my family or friends had survived. My cousin was reported missing by the American Red Cross and an agonizing four days passed before she was able to charge her phone and call her parents to let them know she made it out.
She lost her apartment and one of her cats. My friends’ parents lost their multi-generational home.
Thankfully, they survived.
102 people, including kids, did not.
We are back and things are still unsettled. Tourism is way down, restaurants are empty, and Lahaina is leveled. My cousin is still living in a hotel room, but she is alive. 
I was happy to be back here, happy to be able to run after an injury at Seneca7. I didn’t push it, but I finished!
I love Hawaii. If you ever get a chance to visit the islands, do it. It’s magic here.
Another day, another kid activity.
Last night I was thinking about a running route to get some miles in while my kid warmed up for their game. I wouldn’t be far from the Dryden Rail Trail, so that seemed like a good option.
HELLO!!! Why not do a mile on the track at the Dryden schools!!!
I knew I would be spending several days in Boston in May for a medical procedure a family member would have done. I did my homework prior to arriving and found a track and ParkRun nearby, but alas, I was unable to do any running.
We are back in Boston for follow up, and I was able to get a couple miles on the 3 lane paved track I had scoped out several months ago.
Time is running out to complete the challenge so I hit my good ‘ol hometown Groton track for a solo time trial of sorts. Not particularly speedy but another course down.
Another 1600 attempt this time with some amazing pacing from @lizhartman ! (Thanks again Liz, much appreciated.)
And for what is probably my final Challenge course for the year (a whopping three, thanks to my knee), I rode into Cornell today and did a 1600m on the track, running 100m, walking 300m, and then alternating running and walking 200m. The knee wasn’t entirely happy about it, but it seems to prefer the variability of trails to the regularity of the track.
Yes, I only know how to take one type of selfie. But I wore @JoshB’s samizdat High Noon design. With the robot, just out of sight.
This week has been extra for me … a kid who has preseason practices and needs to be at the State Fair for cow shows. Apparently, a 25 minute commute to a job is all I can handle. 
Dressed in my running clothes, I took aforementioned kid to practice this morning. It started raining then pouring on the drive to Tburg. I wasn’t feeling sweet enough to be concerned about melting. I decided to hit the half mile track at the fairgrounds because the campus has been busy with all the sports practices.
Note to self: it may be best to wait more than week post demolition derby to run on a track. 
There was a little bit of debris on the track and plenty of holes. By the end, it looked like I had been running on a trail instead of a track.
